…and I feel it all around. Anyone remember that song?  

Lately I feel open in an I’m-not-really-sure-what’s-on-its-way-to-me-next-but-it-feels-like-a-good-thing kind of way. Love in all forms has been on my mind. Maybe it’s simply the springtime vibe. Whatever this feeling is, It doesn’t matter - I am content to be in this space.   

I meditate every morning to set the tone of my day and to allow whatever is percolating to surface if it wants to. Here’s a recent meditation conversation: Idea: “Paint love letters”. Me: “What does that mean? Idea: “More precisely, co-create love letters.” Me: “???”  

“Here’s my letter to Mom with it’s first color wash. Spirals are a favorite of mine so that’s how I wrote my letter to her. Also included is a butterfly design and hand-painted paper I’ll use for a stencil to collage over the words.”

I simply waited until it began to take form and I’ll flesh out the idea with you as we continue.

 Here’s an example: You write a love letter to whomever or whatever you wish, (yourself, someone you love, even your dreams and desires) with options wide-open, and we talk until we find the first step. Our co-creation continues until we’re both happy. That part just lights me up. 

“I thought that symbols in addition to words would supply more personal punch. Stencils layered over the love letter was an easy next step. This design was created with Mom in mind; I knew my first letter would be to her. The colors shown remind me of her. Mom was incredibly loving and supportive, and we were best friends. I still miss her and I wanted to thank her again, to add another layer of gratitude for all she still means to me, as well as producing a painting to visually remind me of all the wonderful moments we shared.”

Continuing with the stencil theme found me wondering how to translate personal symbols into form. Remember the bounces I mentioned in our last conversation? Expanding on the stencils is another one of those. Fun leads to fun leads to fun.

“Here’s my second stencil design, this time thinking of myself. I’ve fancied dragonflies since very young - they’re magical creatures to me, able to change direction in a nano-second with stamina to boot (qualities I admire for sure).”

Here’s our check-list so far: Fun collaboration, a heartfelt letter, color theme, and a personal symbol. That leaves size. Right now, I’m thinking a 12” square. But I don’t really care. It’s the co-creating part that calls.  

“Now the stencil has been applied over the love letter and a second, darker wash has been added around the design. While I like this effect, I’m considering adding an even darker wash around the borders. This is a game I play with myself as I’m pretty sure I’ll do it while pretending I can leave a painting left alone.”

As to letter format, you could use crayons, or cut-out magazine letters and words, or write your letter backwards or, or, or… Additional personal elements could include collaging mementos like a piece of clothing, a lock of hair, or photos onto your letter. Nothing is off limits. You tell me what is important to you and I do my best to deliver.

“Personally, I wanted a more dynamic dragonfly design. Here it is in progress: I’m playing with wing placements and the veins within the wings. I’ll show you the finished design in the next letter.”

As to personal symbols, I’ve a few already designed and will create any design that calls to you. Jean chose a lion as a symbol for strength and courage. You’ll get to see more stencils, including Jean’s, next time.

“And this is the final result. Yep, couldn’t help myself; I did add an indigo wash to the outer edges. I will mount this on a 12” x 12” canvas, no frame. I may hang it on a wall or place it in one of those wooden plate-holder stands, most importantly somewhere where I will see it often.”

Afterword: Jean has this great idea about having your future self write the love letter - another bounce to my creative journey. I’m really having fun with this so…

…stay tuned!

Judy

I’m of two minds regarding 2020. While part of me can’t wait to drop-kick it into oblivion, the other part is appreciative and even grateful. I’m still standing; I have my health, my home and those I love near to hand; and, I am more creatively focused than ever before. That last bit is in direct response to the social restrictions we’ve all been subjected to.

Moonchild Final Version: I am pretty much in love with this painting. My PBJ tribe friends gave me ideas to enhance this piece - adding yellow to liven up the bamboo and the moon by providing tension from using complementary colors on the color wheel and then adding that yellow to the “stars” in the night sky. This is one of the paintings I will put into our group show in January. I’ll let you know more about that soon.

Covid 19 effectively closed gyms where I would meet my fitness clients and other friend-clients cancelled for cautionary reasons. Understandable, yet the impact for me was both challenging and unsettling. It was also pivotal.

Moonchild design: Bamboo and full moons soothe and inspire me. I turned to these as inspiration for a video my friend Pamela is creating for me to promo our online art show we’re having in January 2021. This is the original pencil design.

Covid social changes continue to restrict and concern everyone. I pray that you and yours are safe and healthy. I have observed positive changes in the lives of others and hope that you are finding ways to cope and perhaps even to improve aspects in your lives as well.

Here you see my first light color wash with turquoise and cerulean blue only.

Personally, the income shut-off solidified the point of no return and squarely aimed a well-placed kick to help me claim my childhood dream. Although it no longer involves working for the Disney company, most of you know this dream does involve being an artist. With my safety-net income dwindling, my only other choice was to become the artist I always wanted to be.

Two other amazing creatives and I have formed a group that continues to awe and delight me in its depth of support and talent, encouragement and growth. We are a vortex that is evolving through our respect for each other. It is effortless and very, very satisfying to be a part of this group.

This stage shows a second darker color wash of blue and blue-green. The darker “gray” blobs on the moon show where melted wax was put down to save some of the white parts and bamboo highlights. I love how the wax wrinkles the page, giving the watery paint channels to follow.

To that end, our first ta-da! is a joint online art show in January of 2021. This first stroke is one of many we plan on making for ourselves and also to benefit fellow artists. I am thrilled to be a part of this forward-thinking, adventurous group.

As I move (finally!) toward my dream, I am very much grateful to those who supported me as fitness trainer and massage therapist. To you I give my heartfelt appreciation and love for your trust and willingness to persevere. It really was a very fun ride.

This is my third color wash and layer of wax. If I’m not too reverent about how I spray down the painting as I prep to color wash, I get these fun bubbles and folds as I spritz the painting with water. This is one part of the creative game I adore - I never know how each painting will turn out. I don’t really care about results when I’m in this kind of flow - it’s the feeling of fun and what might show up next that satisfies.

We three - Pamela Roberson, Bonnie Anthony and Judy Aveiro - make up the “PBJ”. Our shared alchemy continues to create the “Effect”. I love what the initials imply - another playful nod that reflects the joy of this group and what we hope to share. I am eager to see how 2021 unfolds.

Ok, here's the painting after all the wax layers have been ironed off. See the blue on the moon? That was unintentional, the result of my fat, juicy color washes seeping under the wax on the back side of the painting. I love this. At this stage, the design is far too one-dimensional for my taste. Here I begin building visual interest by outlining the bamboo and the moon with pencils and crayons. I start slowly, asking the painting how much contrast it wants and, almost always, I am too timid. The final marks I lay down are bold and thick and I enhance them using moistened fingertips.

Stay tuned!

Judy

When I was little, I loved watching the movie “Mary Poppins” starring Julie Andrews. I loved everything about Mary. “Practically perfect in every way,” I would say to myself in the mirror, practicing my best self-satisfied face. I also practiced snapping my fingers, like Mary Poppins and her wards, hoping to magically clean up all my messes.

I never got the hang of finger snapping (or whistling for that matter) and the kid in me is certain that’s why it never brought results. But, my childhood introduction to all things magical still serves me well. Metaphorically, I’m snapping my fingers this very minute. And I am conjuring fun new things.

Paisley Thoughts

An example is the painting above. I purposely chose a medium I could not control easily - fluid inks on Yupo polymer “paper” - to allow for serendipity and perhaps a truer portrayal of my emotional moment. The process starts with pouring on the colored inks, then manipulating them with rubbing alcohol applied to a brush; then a stamper, a sponge, or whatever suggests itself. It’s almost like finger painting. Fun to do. Surprising results.

To continue the theme of kid memories: Ever played the game “Boggle”? Briefly: Lettered die are held captive in a sectioned plastic tray. Pop the lid on, shake like crazy and then let the die settle. All players have a limited time to make as many words as they can from adjacent letters only (diagonal readings accepted). The one with the most words, of course, wins.

Now, swap letters and die for the roles, expectations, rules, and standards I use to define myself and my actions and you now know what I’ve been doing this past winter.

I call it the Winter of Clarity (“Now is the winter of our discontent….”) I’m glad to be on the other side of that. Grateful. Appreciative. And very much happier. Like Boggle, it feels as if all the shook up bits of me have fallen into place and I am now busy constructing new definitions.

One new creative definition is this take on a water lily, a design I’ve carved into mat board with an Xacto knife. In this case, the mat board is used as the focus of interest instead of simply as a framing tool.

As for magic, I know that embracing my life situations with a childlike spirit really works for me. This quality, this way of embracing life, is one I’ve been busy unearthing for some time. So much adult stuff on top of it! What. A. Trip. My recent digging felt like the type of spring cleaning brother Max did one time to our garage. Afterwards, I remember Mom and Dad wondering to each other where had certain things gone? (The garage did look amazing, though.)

Being childlike for me allows more freedom of movement, less structure in form, and sometimes a total disregard for how things are. Here I’ve done this with the background I painted for the water lily on butcher paper using fluid acrylics in a somewhat carefree application. I incorporated soft gel gloss into the paint as well to extend play-around time before the colors could dry which definitely fed my kid.

This shake up time has left me feeling a whole lot lighter, happier, younger. I’m letting myself off the hook more and doing my best to not push myself so hard to get things done. I’m actually enjoying the journey (yikes - sorry to use that phrase but it fits) and especially the time in kid mode. (Interestingly, the stuff that needs to get done, is, and I’m having more fun in the doing.)

This is the complete water lily image with the carved mat board design layered over the painted background. A rewarding creative endeavor with the added benefit of pleasing both the child and adult parts of me.

I’m currently working on a triptych of stylized bamboo which I’ll submit for acceptance into a show later this spring (same carving method but this mat will be painted gold to cover up the rubber watch band markings I didn’t realize I was leaving on the nice white mat board - serendipity, right?)

Here’s another slant on water color painting I’m exploring with childlike eagerness: It’s the batik wax resist method. Again, a layered process that comes with surprises, but this time using paint and hot wax. Draw a design, then lay down hot wax on the areas you want to remain white. Continue alternating layers of paint and hot wax to continue creating the design. Finally, cover the whole painting in wax and allow to dry completely. The final steps are to carefully crumple and then flatten the paper and then iron off the wax. The depth of colors revealed is intriguing to me; it looks exactly how I imagine magic should look. Which makes the kid in me really, really, happy.

Batik Method: Deep Water Dreamtime

Well, that’s all for now kids…hope you’re all having fun, too!

Judy